Recruiting

Popliteal Nerve Block

Sponsor:

Women's College Hospital

Code:

NCT06886815

Conditions

Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Popliteal Nerve Block

Sham Block

Study Details

Brief summary:

Achilles tendon rupture is common, yet the value of popliteal nerve block for postoperative pain control during surgical repair remains uncertain. Despite widespread use, evidence supporting its analgesic effectiveness is limited, and both popliteal nerve block and Achilles tendon repair carry risks of nerve injury. This randomized, placebo-controlled trial will evaluate whether adding a popliteal nerve block to standard systemic analgesia improves postoperative pain and reduces opioid use in patients undergoing acute Achilles tendon rupture repair. Secondary outcomes will examine the incidence and impact of nerve complications on recovery, including return to physical activity and functional performance.

Conditions

Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture

Study ID

NCT06886815

Start date

Mar 17, 2026

Status verified date

Apr, 2026

Completion date

Mar, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 - 65
  • ASA classification: I - III
  • BMI < 35 kg/m2
  • Undergoing acute Achilles tendon rupture repair surgery as a day surgery procedure

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pre-existing neurological deficits or peripheral neuropathy in the distribution of the tibial or common peroneal nerves
  • Local infection
  • Contraindication to regional anesthesia (e.g., bleeding diathesis, coagulopathy)
  • History of use of over 30 mg oxycodone or equivalent per day
  • Contraindication to any component of a standard multi-modal analgesia
  • Allergy to local anesthetics
  • History of significant psychiatric conditions that may affect patient assessment
  • Pregnancy
  • Inability to provide informed consent
  • Patient refusal of popliteal nerve blockade
  • Prior Achilles tendon surgeries on the operative leg
  • Unable to speak or read English

Study Design

Enrollment

80 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Popliteal nerve (PN) block group

30 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine with 2.5 µg/ml of epinephrine

sham comparator: Placebo Nerve Block

1 mL of saline

Interventions

Popliteal Nerve Block

Under ultrasound guidance, a 22G, 80-mm echogenic needle (SonoTAP II, Pajunk Medical Systems, USA) will be inserted using an in-plane lateral-to-medial approach. 30 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine with 2.5 µg/ml of epinephrine will be deposited between tibial and common peroneal nerves within the paraneural sheath. Adequate spread of local anesthetics will be confirmed by visualization of paraneural spread.

Sham Block

Patients in the Control group will receive sham blocks using a 25G needle to inject 1 mL of saline subcutaneously in the same location (popliteus of the surgical knee). Sterilization and ultrasound scanning will match actual PN block. Such a non-invasive placebo allows maintaining patient blinding, while reducing the risks associated with high-volume placebo nerve block injections. The ultrasound screen will be blinded from the patient's vision for all patients in the trial to prevent unblinding by patients with knowledge of the technique.

Primary outcome measure

  • Cumulative Opioid Consumption [ Time Frame: The first 24 hours after surgery ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Didem Bozak

416-323-6008didem.bozak@wchospital.ca

Locations

Women's College Hospital

Recruiting

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1B2

Contacts

Didem Bozak

416-323-6008didem.bozak@wchospital.ca

Principal Investigator:

Richard Brull, MD,FRCPC

More Information

Sponsor

Women's College Hospital

Last update posted

Apr 23, 2026

Last verified

Apr, 2026

Keywords

  • Popliteal Nerve Block
  • Lower Extremity Regional Anesthesia
  • Achilles Tendon

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Women's College Hospital on 2026-04-23.